Malignant melanoma of the choroid in a husband and wife

Epidemiologic aspects of uveal melanoma

Although the underlying cause or causes of uveal melanoma have yet to be elucidated, important insights may be gained by examining the epidemiologic features of the disease. Uveal melanoma is an uncommon cancer with an incidence of only six cases per million population per year. It is most often diagnosed in the sixth decade and is somewhat more common in males. Apart from sporadic reports of family clusters, uveal melanoma is not considered an inherited disease. Whether some environmental exposure triggers the development of uveal melanoma remains an open question. Sunlight has been proposed as an environmental risk factor because sunlight is known to cause melanoma of the skin and both diseases are rare in nonwhite races. Unlike cutaneous melanoma, however, rates have not been increasing over time and do not vary by latitude. This paper evaluates the available evidence for sunlight and other potential risk factors for uveal melanoma, highlighting areas requiring further research.

Malignant melanoma of the choroid in a mother and retinoblastoma in her son

A 31-year-old woman was diagnosed as having a malignant melanoma of the choroid in the right eye. Twenty months later her 7-year-old son was diagnosed as having retinoblastoma in the right eye. Both diagnoses were confirmed histopathologically after enucleation. A chromosomal study revealed normal karyotypes in the son. The family history was positive for cancer of the stomach. The implications of this rare association are discussed.